COMMUNITY FORUM

lightening a red brick wall

Hi -- hoping someone can give us some advice. We've just built an addition to our home and included is a red brick wall surrounding the built-in wood stove (floor to ceiling). While the brick is handmade and "antiqued", it's still just too bold for me (combined w/the fact that the room also has a brick floor). I've read enough here to be discouraged from painting the wall. But is there anything else we can do to soften the redness of this? White wash, white haze (I saw a reference to that but I've been unsuccessful in figuring out what it is . . .). My husband thinks taking some grouting or cement to it might help.